Customer Reviews

Asia Journey

5 star:		(4)
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Blending his unique warm and melodic yet still distinctly ambient keyboards with a subtle yet tangible Far Eastern texture, Jon Mark has once again delivered the goods. This man can, apparently, do no wrong.

ASIA JOURNEY is worlds removed (literally) from his classics like A SUNDAY IN AUTUMN and THE STANDING STONES OF CALLANISH, but that trademark soft glowing layering of lush synthesizers is still present. The addition of some Asian music elements, as well as occasional snippets of actual field recordings from Jon and wife Thelma Burch's trips to Asia, adds a cloaking of timeless mystery to this CD. Less somber than THE STANDING STONES...and less overtly romantic than A SUNDAY IN AUTUMN, the overall vibe here is one of reverence combined with a mildly exotic flavor.

The music itself is characteristically low-key and ambient in sound. By using major chords/notes, the album avoids being overly melancholic yet is also never "too" friendly in tone either. Non-rhythmic in the extreme, this could easily be considered spacemusic if one were open-minded about it. The songs vary quite a bit while still maintaining continuity both to the theme and to Mark's signature use of particular synths. I would rate this album ahead of THE LEAVING OF IRELAND or A CELTIC STORY. I consider it the third best recording of this artist's long career.

Each title song is a vignette of very special places in Asia and the moods these places convey. Taken altogether, these songs are a musical tour of the Far East. Especially delicate and moving are "Kowloon" and "Mist on the Peak", both a glimpse of Hong Kong. I would recommend this title to anyone.

Jon Mark is an amazing artist- I hope to hear more from him soon. His ability to assist with the relaxing process should prove to be helpful with stress management - as well as simple pleasure.

This is the most relaxing CD I have ever listened to. I have it playing ALL NIGHT long every night for the most restful nights you could ever imagine.